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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2022-05-17 Daily Xml
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Torrens to Darlington Project

Mr TARZIA (Hartley) (14:41): Thank you, Deputy Speaker. What an excellent job you are doing! My question is also to the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport. Following his advice to the house in the last week of sitting that the current design of the Torrens to Darlington project is under review, who is undertaking the review and how long will the review of the current design of the Torrens to Darlington project last?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Energy and Mining) (14:41): That is a very good question. Mr Jon Whelan, who is the Chief Executive of the Department for Infrastructure and Transport, is someone who is overseeing almost every major piece of infrastructure in this state. He is someone who I think enjoys bipartisan support; he certainly did in the last term. Mr Whelan and his associates—Mr Wayne Buckerfield and his team—do an exceptional job, and I think they are a great example of public servants who are able to serve the government of the day fearlessly and frankly.

So we are looking at things like the very elevated roadways that the former government was proposing in and around Anzac Highway to see whether they actually work, whether they actually cause queuing in the tunnels. We are looking at what they were attempting to do in West Hindmarsh with another 17 metre-high elevated roadway to reconnect to Grange Road and the impact and visual amenity impact that would have on local communities. We are also, of course, looking at how best to make sure that the remedy works are done properly, and that takes time.

Of course, there is a project of works that are in the budget from the Mid-Year Budget Review. You will see our framing of that in the 2 June budget. But I can say this: we won't be lectured by anyone about the north-south corridor because on this side of the parliament—

Mr Fulbrook: And this side.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —we delivered Torrens to Torrens—and that side. We delivered Torrens to Torrens and Darlington and the Northern Connector and the Northern Expressway and the Port River Expressway, so our commitment to infrastructure is in our works and deeds.

The former government talked a big game on tunnels, but there wasn't a tunnel-boring machine here. There were no tunnels being dug over the last four years; it was just talk. We are doing the appropriate thing in making sure that the people who are going to be building this are doing it properly and that we are ready to go out to market as quickly as we possibly can to commence this, because it is the largest undertaking this state will ever undertake in terms of procurement. So it is very, very important that we get this right.

I think it is prudent that the government is looking at the detailed design to make sure we are minimising the impact and especially the amenity. Remember, this nonstop corridor is designed to improve efficiency of our road network and to make sure that we can get freight to and from market quickly and efficiently, to make sure that we can have good east-west movement throughout that corridor, to make sure that we can deliver this project on time and on budget. I am anxiously awaiting the outcome of the federal election on Saturday, because if Mr Albanese is elected Prime Minister that will mean we have someone who is committed passionately to infrastructure.

Mr TARZIA: Point of order: this is clearly debate. The outcome of the federal election is irrelevant to the question, so standing order 98.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: My understanding of the answer was that the minister was talking about the relevance of the election outcome to this particular project, so I think it's relevant.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Can I point out to the house that this project is funded fifty-fifty with the commonwealth government, so the outcome of the federal election is germane. It is very, very important. I am not sure, given the lack of commitment from the current Prime Minister to South Australia, given that we haven't seen much infrastructure built in South Australia over the last four years, that we should rely on a Morrison government to continue that level of investment.

We are very anxiously awaiting the outcome of an Albanese government's election because the one thing Mr Albanese cannot be criticised about is his commitment to infrastructure. He is the father of Infrastructure Australia. He has built and supported more infrastructure in South Australia than members opposite have forgotten—

The Hon. P.B. Malinauskas: And delivered them.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —and delivered them. So we are talking about a man who is committed to our state and committed to South Australia, and we look forward to building with him.

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